Physical Activity Tuesday Challenge
Physical Activity Tuesday Challenge: Complete muscle-strengthening activities for your upper body. Pick one of the exercises below & see how many you can complete in 30 seconds. If you feel good after 30 seconds, take a breather & try another set!
Upper Body muscle-strengthening activities:
- Plank (video)
- Push-ups or wall push-ups (video)
- Bicep curls with dumbbells, soup cans or whatever you have on hand. You pick the weight that is appropriate for you (video)
Besides aerobic activity, the Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults also do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week. Muscle-strengthening activities are exercises that make your muscles work harder than usual and should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms) and should be done in addition to your aerobic activity.
Don’t worry, we’re not talking about becoming a professional bodybuilder. Simple, weight-bearing exercises that use free weights, machines or your body’s own resistance are the focus. You can do these workouts separate from your cardio activity or add resistance to an aerobic workout.
There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, activities such as lifting weights, working with resistance bands, doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (push-ups, sit-ups), heavy gardening (digging, shoveling) and some forms of yoga all count. Muscle-strengthening activities count if they involve a moderate or greater level of intensity or effort and work a major muscle group.
Muscle-strengthening activities provide additional benefits not found with aerobic activity. The benefits of muscle-strengthening activity include increased bone strength and muscular fitness. Strengthening your muscles gives you the ability to perform everyday activities and helps protect your body from injury. Stronger muscles also lead to a boost in your metabolic rate, which means you’ll burn more calories even when your body is at rest. Add some muscle-strengthening activities this week and complete the Physical Activity Tuesday Challenge!
